The prior art teaches that window blinds are a home furnishing item which contribute greatly to the outcome of an interior decorating project. The window blinds may be used as the primary window treatment, or they may be used to complement a combination including drapes and window blinds arrangement. The present invention is directed at window blinds that are the primary form of window treatment, and which have an exterior surface treatment, including color, combination of colors, or a design pattern. The decorative window blinds commercially available are offered in a variety of lengths, width and material. The material may be a fabric strip or a colored plastic slat. The fabric strips or plastic slats are elongated to cover a window, or a wall area, typically in a vertical arrangement of a plurality of the slats. The louver-type action of the blinds is facilitated by a pivoting hardware interconnection mechanism disposed at each blind which in concert respond to action to provide an open or closed louver state of the blind to either expose, or not expose the blind's larger surface area. The mechanism, in combination with a traverse member mechanism anchored to a wall, provides means for support and also a means to group and move all of the blind members to one or both sides. The fabric strips typically require a weight at a bottom end to help keep the elongated drapery look, and further require a bottom end interconnection between the plurality of fabric strips to cause the bottom end to follow the upper end initiated louver-type action. Because of the stiff properties associated with the plastic slat type of blind, a window blind arrangement using the plastic slat blinds does not require the bottom end follower interconnection to effect a complete louvered opening and closing of the blinds. Regardless of the material, the decor associated with the exterior surface of the blinds is the decor which will stay on the window blinds until the entire window blind arrangement is replaced with another window blind having a different decor.
While some prior art is known which is directed at replacement of blind panels and thereby change the decor, see generally U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,049,038, 4,195,680 and 4,628,980. These prior art teachings are not directed at blind cover structure, as is the present invention. Rather, the prior art teaches a complete blind system whereby the consumer must have originally installed a particular blind structure member which is designed to accept the replaceable decor-containing blind panel member. The system's interdependency is viewed as a limited way of changing the decor of window blinds in that replacement is only possible if the consumer has that particular window blind system.
Additionally, there is no window blind system known that changing the decor by providing a panoramic scene, of a subject, such as a mountain scene, a seaside view, a city lights scene, etc., by opening and closing the window blinds.
Thus, a need is seen to exist for a window blind covering structure adapted to fit over existing blind structure for purposes of changing the decor associated with the existing window blind arrangement.
A need is further seen to exist for a window blind covering arrangement which contains blind cover members that not only conveniently fits over an existing blind structure to change the decor treatment, but that additionally provide, in combination with other blind cover members, a panoramic scene of a subject on at least one surface of the plurality of blinds.